What is voice and when to use voice??
Voice is a grammatical term use to describe the relationship between the subject of a sentence and the action described by the verb. In English, there are two main voices: the active voice and the passive voice.
Active Voice: In the active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action described by the verb. For example, “John kicked the ball” – in this sentence, the subject “John” performs the action “kicked”. Active voice sentences are considered more direct and clear.
Passive Voice: In the passive voice, the subject of the sentence is the recipient of the action described by the verb. For example, “The ball was kicked by John” – in this sentence, the subject “the ball” receives the action “kicked”. Passive voice sentences are considered less direct and can make the sentence sound more formal or less personal.
When to use which voice:
Active voice is generally preferred in most types of writing, as it is more direct and makes the sentence sound more dynamic. However, in some cases, the passive voice is more appropriate. For example, in scientific writing, the passive voice is often used to focus on the action rather than the doer of the action. Similarly, in certain types of business writing, the passive voice can be used to downplay the role of the person or organization responsible for an action.
Changing the voice of a sentence :
Changing the voice of a sentence is relatively simple. To change a sentence from active to passive, you need to change the order of the subject and object and add the verb “to be” in its appropriate form. For example, “John kicked the ball” in active voice becomes “The ball was kicked by John” in passive voice. Conversely, to change a sentence from passive to active, you need to change the order of the object and subject and remove the verb “to be”.
In conclusion,
The voice of a sentence can greatly affect the tone and emphasis of your writing. Understanding the difference between active and passive voice and knowing when to use them will help you to write more effectively and to convey your message more clearly.
